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News Topical, Digital Desk : Causes of Antibiotic Resistance: In India, treatment of many common infections such as UTI, pneumonia, sepsis, and diarrhea is no longer as easy as it once was. Antibacterial drugs available in hospitals are rapidly weakening. This picture is clearly shown by the ICMR's 2024 AMR Surveillance Report. The report includes an analysis of samples from nearly 100,000 patients collected from major hospitals across the country. It revealed that the greatest threat is gram-negative bacteria, which are now defeating even many strong antibiotics.
E. coli, the most common infectious pathogen, has already demonstrated resistance to multiple drugs. Klebsiella pneumoniae, a major cause of pneumonia and sepsis, is resistant to drugs like piperacillin-tazobactam in three-quarters of cases. Its effectiveness against last-line antibiotics like carbapenems is also steadily declining, leaving patients with limited treatment options. The most worrying situation is evident in the ICU, where Acinetobacter baumannii was found to be 91 percent resistant to strong drugs like meropenem. In such cases, doctors are forced to resort to more toxic and difficult drug combinations. Resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also increasing, further complicating the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
According to the report
- 72 percent of bloodstream infections were caused by bacteria that do not respond to common medications.
- Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas were responsible for most ventilator-associated pneumonia cases.
- Many diarrhoea-causing germs were also found to be resistant to popular drugs such as fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins.
While there are some signs of slight improvement, such as E. coli responding better to amikacin and some cephalosporins, the overall picture is becoming more serious. Fungal infections are also becoming more serious. Candida auris remained resistant to drugs in about 10 percent of cases, while nearly a third of Aspergillus samples were found to be resistant to a crucial drug like Amphotericin B. The ICMR stated that this data reflects hospital infections; the picture in the general population may be different. Nevertheless, experts say the signs are clear that the antibiotics commonly used in India are losing their effectiveness, and serious patients are bearing the brunt of this.
What are superbugs?
Superbugs are bacteria that are resistant to many types of antibiotics. When they cause an infection in a patient, standard medications are ineffective. This can lead to prolonged treatment and difficult disease control.
Major superbugs seen in India
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- Drug-Resistant TB
- Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae
- Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus
These bacteria do not respond to many medications, making it even more challenging for doctors to choose the right treatment.
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